The Samsung Galaxy Nexus revealed

The Samsung Unpacked: Google Episode, which was originally supposed to take place during CTIA in San Diego last week, took place last night in Hong Kong instead. The purpose of this event was to unveil the latest collaboration between Samsung and Google, due to be the next in the line of Google’s Nexus phones.

These phones have historically lead the charge with a new version of the Android operating system, and last night was no different. After what felt like months of speculation, rumors, and leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has finally been announced. Coupled with an unveil of the next iteration of Android, dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich, Google and Samsung took some time to really show off the next of the “Google Experience” Android phone.

In this post we’ll look at the Galaxy Nexus hardware, with another post later today covering Android 4.0 specifically.

Specs

As we saw with the leak yesterday, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus devices will have a dual core 1.2 GHz processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. There’s also 32GB of onboard storage and no mention of removable storage anywhere. Considering that the previous Nexus did not support removable storage, I doubt we will see this make a comeback.

We also get a 5MP camera capable with zero shutter lag that supports recording video at 1080p. There’s no mention as to whether or not the 1.3MP front facing camera has zero shutter lag, but it should provide a quality experience nonetheless. As expected, the Galaxy Nexus is NFC chip enabled and ready for Google Wallet. And finally, somewhere inside that thin curving body there’s also a 1750MaH battery.

Many people view the Nexus One as an evolutionary leap in the way we use smartphones, being the first 1GHz smartphone. Since the Nexus S came out, the device has mostly been white noise against a sea of similar phones. With the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, I feel that Google is pushing the state of the art instead of the state of the market, offering hardware that is superior in nearly every way to other devices currently being offered.

Super AMOLED HD

Samsung has long since been the best manufacturer of Android displays. Starting with the Galaxy line, the phones have been able to function well in sunlight, provide fantastic contrast and amazing colors. Since then, the screens have improved every couple of months, leading to Super AMOLED HD. The first phone with a 4.65″ 720p (720×1280) HD display offers a better visual experience than most mid to low end laptops and netbooks.

Improving on the color depth and visual quality of the screen, you can barely tell where the screen ends and the bezel begins, making the on screen keys provided by Android 4.0 look even more impressive. Samsung claims this display consumes even less power than the previous iterations of Super AMOLED, while providing a truly stunning experience.

The sizeable 4.65″ screen sounds daunting, given how large a 4.3″ screen feels in the hand today. Because of the on-screen key system, the 4.65″ is actually stretched longer than current screen designs, making it so the phone feels the same as a 4.3″ phone in your hand. Plus, the phone is much thinner than most 4.3″ phones on the market today, which will make it easier to wrap your hand around as well.

LTE and HSPA+

One of the loudest rumors, and possibly one of the oldest, was that Verizon Wireless was getting the next Nexus phone. Since the previous two had been available on T-Mobile and AT&T, but never carried in stores until Sprint got the Nexus S 4G, this news excited many.

There will, in fact, be an LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus, but there will also be HSPA+ versions for T-Mobile, AT&T, and International versions. It’s unclear whether or not AT&T or T-Mobile will officially carry these phones in stores, but it is likely we’ll see these devices on sale by the end of November. There will not be a version for AT&T’s LTE network at launch, but it is possible that Samsung and Google will re-release the device like they did for Sprint to support the faster network.

The addition of Verizon to the lineup of carriers is expected to drastically increase the sales of a line of phones that had really just been hardcore Android fans in the past. Increased adoption of this device could likely mean that other OEM’s will begin to shift their designs to be more like the Galaxy Nexus. We know that the LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus will be imperceptibly thicker to support the LTE radio, but otherwise the devices are expected to be identical.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is an impressive offering. Coupled with Android 4.0, this phone will do a good job bringing about the next wave of Android phones. While I eagerly await a hands on with this phone, this presentation did not fail to wow the audience. Looking across the social networks, the Galaxy Nexus has managed to do what the iPhone 4S didn’t: live up to the hype.